Method of attaching a closure to a container



Oct. 9, 1934. D. TITUS 1,975,673

' METHOD OF ATTACHING A CLOSURE} TO. ACONTAINER Filed July 29, .1931

' PIC-3.2.-

III a FIGS.

' LEO/V D. 71/5 Swvmtoz Patented Oct. 9, 1934 .UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE TAINE Leon D. Titus, Port Arthur, Tex., assignor to The TexasCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application July 29,1931, Serial No. 553,717

1 Claim.

This invention relates to closures for containers and has specialreference to closure means for metallic receptacles.

An object of the invention is to provide a meth- 5 d of attaching aclosure element to a can body which will be simple, eflicient andinexpensive. The invention further contemplatesa method of crimping intoa body member having an opening formed therein, a neck which may be usedin conjunction with a spout, cap or plug.

The invention will be better understood in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. 1 is a sectional view showing a body member and a closure elementbefore crimping, and

15 a preferred form of apparatus for carrying out the object of myinvention.

Figs. 2, 3, 4, show the successive steps in the crimping operation.

Fig. 5 shows the body member and the closure 99 after crimping.

Referring to the drawing, a body member 10, preferably a can top, may beformed with an opening therein and a peripheral upwardly extendingflange 12 may be provided at the opening. A closure element comprising aneck or thimble 13, is provided with an .annularly bent peripheralflange 14 adapted to hook over and rest against the flange 12. The neck13 may be threaded so as to receive a suitable spout, cap or plug, asmay be desired.

In carrying out the object of my invention, a movable punch 15 and astationary die 16, mounted in a suitable press, not shown; may beemployed. The punch 15 preferably has a beveled surface at 17, while thedie 16 is beveled as at 18.

The neck 13 and the body member may be assembled by hand and then placedin the press as shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 2 shows the neck 13 in positionwith the flange 14 hooked over and resting against the upstanding flange12 of the body member 10. As indicated in Fig. 3, the punch may then beadvanced toward the die 16, whereby the body member 10 will be bentdownwardly in annular fashion around the peripheral flange 12, due tothe shape of the beveled portion 18. The application of pressure bymeans of the punch 15, will then be continued as in Fig. 4 whereby thejuxtaposed flanges 12 and 14 will be folded back on the bent annulus of.the body member 10 at an angle, preferably less than a. right angle, tothe plane of the body member 10 to thereby form a seam 19, securelyattaching the closure element or neck to the body member.

It has. been found that the closure described herein is very efficient.If desired, however, a

suitable sealing composition may be employed to make the container leaktight. This sealing material may be inserted underneath the annularlybent flange 14, for example, prior to the crimping operation. In thecase of containers intended for volatile or inflammable fluids, such aspetroleum oils, particularly the lighter products thereof, it isgenerally desirable to use a sealing material.

Obviously many modifications of my invention may be made withoutdeparting fromthe spirit and scope thereof, and I therefore intend nolimitation except as imposed by the appended claim.-

I claim:

The method of attaching a closure element to a container whichcomprises, providing a body member having a circular opening thereinandan upwardly extending flange about said opening, providing a cylindricalclosure element having at one end thereof an outwardly extending flangefolded back over said element, inserting the closure element through theopening in the body member 'so that the flange of the closure elementenfolds the flange of the body member, exerting pressure to force thebody member and 90 the closure element tightly together, continuing theapplication of pressure to depress and bend the body memberdownwardlyabout said opening, continuing the application of pressure tofold the flanged end of the closure element and the enfolded flange ofthe body member outwardly at an acute angle against the bent annulus ofsaid body member to thereby form a flat seam attaching the closureelement to the body member, and continuing the application of pressureto further flatten the seam.

' L. D. TITUS.

